@EC155mech Thanks for not taking my thought too personally.
It is just so different flying a FW in IMC than an unstabilised helicopter. Set up properly the FW will hold its attitude all by itself.
As I understand the background to the FW IMC Rating it was created to get a FW pilot out of trouble if he was forced to go IMC (which can happen on X/C flights in a FW when the Met forecast is c??p). However, the rating privileges allow you to do far more than that. Firstly, they permit you to elect to go IFR (and plan to fly deliberately IMC). You can fly IFR approach and departure procedures (although to much higher minima than those who hold an IR). [All of that is only in UK airspace, and it does not extend to flying IFR in Class A airspace]. It would only be sensible to make full use of the privileges if you were in IMC flying practice.
I would encourage you to do some more simulated IMC, if you want to. However, if you were looking to do post-licence continuation training, I would also recommend being taken out in poor weather by your FI and being shown how to tell when the vis is getting too bad and how to make a timely flight abort. It is not very difficult, but like most things in flying better to be shown it first and fly it once with an instructor or similarly experienced pilot. As has been discussed elsewhere on PPRUNE recently (See the Bude Cornwall accident thread for example), a major part of this is making correct and timely decisions to avoid going inadvertent IMC in a hele.
Last edited by Helinut; 26th August 2011 at 18:03.
Reason: To add second para